At the Abyss: an Insider's History of the Cold War

Parameters, Winter, 2004 by Joseph R. Cerami

At the Abyss: An Insider's History of the Cold War. By Thomas C. Reed. New York: Ballantine Books, 2004. 368 pages. $25.95. Reviewed by Joseph R. Cerami, Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University.

Thomas Reed has done a great service in writing his insider's Cold War history. As a member of the generation-just-after the greatest generation, he has a unique view of the story's beginning, middle, and end. During his promotional tour, he points out that he wrote this book because other recent Cold War authors have "wrote it wrong" (to paraphrase Yogi Berra's criticism of a best-selling Joe DiMaggio biography). So, like Yogi, as someone who was there, he felt a duty to set the record straight.

Reed's resume includes top-level assignments, including Secretary of the Air Force, Director of National Reconnaissance, Special Assistant on the National Security Council, and Consultant to the Director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The story covers the Cold War by tracing Reed's career, starting off as the young Cornell engineering graduate (top of his class) who enters the Air Force as a lieutenant, works in nuclear development labs, observes a nuclear test, rises as a public manager, is present at the creation of the cyber/information age, becomes a Republican Party fundraiser and campaign manager, joins the Reagan Revolution as a member of the National Security Council staff, and runs high-tech companies in-between. Few have had a comparable range of experiences in the complex military, industry, scientific, and government networks that teamed up to win the Cold War.

There are, as would be expected, insider accounts of Washington and White House politics and insights on the Cold War Presidents, as well as the careers of influential figures like Edward Teller, James Schlesinger, Harold Brown, William Perry, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, and many others. Becoming one of the Cold War's best and brightest was an insider's game, and Reed's mix of politics and policy illuminates both the scientific and social sides of government service. The former Air Force Secretary also provides interesting anecdotes to explain the roles of members of the armed forces, technicians, and bureaucrats both US and Soviet--who did their duty while avoiding Armageddon. Often showing off his good sense of humor, Reed also includes less-well-known figures and stories at the tactical level of Cold War warfare. His writing acknowledges the critical roles played by pilots, missile officers, and keepers of the nuclear codes.

As a nuclear engineer and government official, Reed provides an account that also is significant for its insight on science and technology, and on the research and development communities. In addition, it includes some gripping spy stories and illustrates the realities of bureaucratic and organizational politics involving the Pentagon, the CIA, and the White House. The nexus of technology, intelligence, and defense policy and programs has not received sufficient attention. As more records are opened for scholars and public audiences, additional interesting insights are bound to appear. More transparency on government affairs can only help citizens understand the significance, sacrifices, challenges, and heroism of our armed forces, government officials, and public servants in peace and war. For instance, there is a serious revisionist history and growing appreciation for President Eisenhower's crucial role in enhancing US national security by nurturing the scientific and intelligence communities in the 1950s (often at the expense of the Department of Defense).

The book's 22 chapters move along at a fast pace. Reed is a natural storyteller, and the variety of the episodes, from Stalin's alleged murder, to Admiral Stockdale's bird's-eye view of the Tonkin Gulf incident, to the nuclear bombs dropped on Spain (safely), all make for interesting reading while making important points. Reed also works in an account of the destructive potential of a strike on the World Trade Center with weapons of mass destruction as a timely reminder of the threats facing our current generation.

At its core, Reed's history is a case study in ethical leadership. Reed's Acknowledgements page recognizes his parents, "who tried to instill the values of right and wrong that constitute the foundations of Western civilization." The Introduction, by former President George H. W. Bush, continues this theme in his opening sentence: "The Cold War was a struggle for the very soul of mankind." The 41st President echoes Reed's main point regarding the significance of "the honorable men and women on both sides who kept their cool and did what was right--as they saw it--in times of crisis," which, as we now know, helped avoid the abyss of nuclear war in a time of great international tension and ideological competition.

In addition to the high political drama of major personalities and critical events, At the Abyss is a highly readable and personal story of quiet professionalism, selfless service, and achievement. Let me end by repeating Reed's dedication: "To the Cold Warriors who did their duty, protected their honor, and defended their countries. They did so with a vengeance, in the service of their gods, but they never lost their respect for the tires of hell that would surely follow any careless act at the edge of the abyss." Let's recognize the Cold Warriors for a job well done. We all should look forward to more insider accounts of this historic era--and more illustrations of playing to win in our nation's defense with intelligence, patience, dignity, honor, heroism, and a very large dose of common sense--and accounts of individuals who lived their lives guided by admirable values of right and wrong.